


Blinded by the Lights

by vamp_apologist



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Marriage, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24585292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vamp_apologist/pseuds/vamp_apologist
Summary: When Faye thought of the last few months of her senior year of high school, she imagined photos with friends in Port Angeles, hiking in the woods behind her house, prepping for final exams, and finally - FINALLY - graduating high school with her best friend, Bella.What she got wasn't even close.Faye is nearly killed in the battle of the newborns. Realizing he had been nothing more than a pawn in Victoria's revenge scheme, Faye helps newborn leader Riley Biers escape the wolves by a hair's breadth. She expected him to disappear, to create a new life.She didn't expect him to come to her for help - to learn how to be a person again.
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Emmett Cullen & Rosalie Hale, Riley Biers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Into the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> This starts at the very end of the battle that takes place in Eclipse. It will loosely follow the events of Breaking Dawn, but will focus little on Edward and Bella. Let me know what you think!
> 
> And yes, I'm a whore for Xavier Samuel. I offer no apologies for this.

Faye always made the right decision. The smart decision. She applied to the right colleges, volunteer for the right programs, made connections with the right adults. At least, she did until she moved to Forks and met Bella Swan.

Bella was another loner, just like Faye. She just wanted to be left alone. Of course, the tiny town of Forks could never leave a new, shiny person alone. The people had flocked to Bella, and the same people flocked to Faye just a few weeks afterwards. The two girls had become fast friends – close friends, even.

Close enough for Faye to know that Bella’s boyfriend was a vampire. And that her friend, Jacob, was a werewolf. It didn’t bother her, really. It was weird, and Faye couldn’t really grasp loving someone who was over a hundred years old, but girls went after older sugar daddies all the time. As least Edward still looked young. Faye just didn’t see herself being too involved with the supernatural. The sensible thing was to avoid them at every opportunity and live out an average, boring life.

As it turned out, Faye didn’t make the right decision anymore. As she trudged through the snow, cold and angry, she realized that every decision she’d made since Bella revealed her secret had been nothing short of stupid.

Agreeing to come out into the middle of the woods, in the middle of winter, was bad enough. What was worse was that Faye had agreed not only to come out into the middle of the woods, in the middle of winter, but in the middle of a vampire war. The worst part of all was that she had decided to ditch Bella and her love triangle and try to make it home on her own without her friend’s knowledge.

Was it the dumbest decision of Faye’s life? Yes. Did she run the risk of being murdered by a bloodthirsty vampire newborn? Absolutely. Did she care? Not in the slightest. The bitter cold stung her face and her fingers were becoming stiff, but Faye was just happy to be away from the trio’s constant fighting. She loved Bella like a sister, but watching her ruin her life for a couple of supernatural creatures was too difficult. Faye knew it would only end in heartbreak for Bella’s dad, Charlie.

Faye thought of Charlie fondly as she trudged through the snow. Her parents had died two years prior, and she had moved to Forks the moment her emancipation was finalized. Charlie and Faye’s dad had been childhood friends, and Charlie had become a second father to Faye.

Engrossed in her own thoughts, Faye didn’t expect to find herself suddenly sailing through the air. When her head cracked against a boulder and she slid back down to the snowy ground, she couldn’t even remember what she’d been thinking about. Dazed, she saw the outline of a dark figure. Her arm felt wet, and when she glanced down, she noticed her parka’s sleeve had been ripped off. Blood dripped down her arm and her vision grew out of focus. Faye found herself half-heartedly thinking about how pretty the red of her blood looked against the striking, fresh white of the snow. The only real color she'd seen since she left the camp besides the occasional bit of dark green peeking out from a tree.

Cold fingers wrapped themselves around her wrist. Faye lifted her heavy eyes to meet ones the same color as her oozing blood, outlined by a pale face that had once been beautiful - no, that wasn't right. He was still beautiful, though eerily so. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Faye recognized him as the missing college kid from Seattle. Riley Biers. Jasper had wanted the whole group to recognize his face.

He lifted her bloodied arm to his mouth, tongue flicking out to flatten against her wound. “No,” she said softly, her head pounding. She couldn’t keep him in focus, but she caught the hunger and desire on his face as he began to drink more from her. It didn’t escape Faye’s fuzzy mind that he wasn’t biting her, though. She wondered why. 

“Don’t do this,” she continued to slur. “She’s using you. Don’t let her use you.” Riley paused, face contorted in pain and confusion, but he stayed silent. Screams ripped through the air, followed by snarl of wolves, and Riley's attention was ripped from her arm. Faye’s eyes closed and her head rolled back onto the bloodied boulder.

“Go,” Faye told him, eyes still closed. “Cross the river and the wolves won’t get you.”

He made no sound, but Faye knew he was gone as she slipped into darkness.

______________________________

Faye’s eyes had been open for exactly three seconds before her ears were assaulted with frantic voices. The pounding of her head was immediate and overwhelming.

“Faye, oh my god. I’m so glad you’re okay,” Bella said hurriedly. “Why did you leave the camp? What the hell happened?” Her brown eyes were filled with worry as she glanced back towards Edward, who was expressionless as usual. His golden eyes were steady on Faye, unreadable.

“I couldn’t stand the fighting anymore, Bella. I tried to go home.” Faye winced as she sat up on the Cullen’s couch, head throbbing. Her arm was wrapped in gauze, and she reached up with her other hand to lightly touch the stitches lining the back of her head. “Wanna tell me what happened?”

The two in front of her exchanged more worried glances, and Faye felt a hot flash of anger. “What the fuck, you two? Just tell me what happened so I can process it and move on.” Edward couldn't read Bella's mind - or Faye's, for that matter - but sometimes it was like the two of them had some weird mental connection. 

“I-“ Bella paused. “Maybe you should tell her, Edward. You’ll be able to explain it better.” She fidgeted a bit, refusing to meet Faye's eyes.

Edward sighed and uncrossed his arms. “Remember the kid who went missing in Seattle? Riley Biers?” Faye nodded for him to continue. “He found you out in the woods. Smashed you against a rock, drank some of your blood. I can’t understand how he refrained from killing you, much less biting you. He must have more self-control than any other newborn I’ve met.”

Carlisle appeared suddenly, then sat down in the chair to Faye’s left. “He escaped. Crossed a river and the wolves couldn’t pick up his scent. I’m sorry, Faye.” She sat up slowly, trying to focus past the pain in her skull. The light grey couch was comfortable, and she wasn't in the same clothes she'd been in at the camp. Her memories were vague, but she did remember what she told Riley.

Faye didn’t think telling them she had told him how to escape would be the most helpful information at the moment. She couldn’t explain to herself why she did it, so how would she explain it to them? She glanced back down at her arm. “What happened to Victoria and the other newborns?”

“They’re dead, Faye. After Edward found you, Jacob had to take us here to make sure the Volturi didn’t know we’re still human. Carlisle came back as fast as he could to stitch you up before the others came,” Bella told her softly. “You’ve been unconscious for about a day.” Faye swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought about all those people, most of them her own age, now dead and burnt to ashes. They didn’t deserve any of this. Just another reason to avoid the supernatural. If only Faye could pack away everything she knew about the world of vampires and werewolves and put it in a box, never to be touched again. Her stomach turned as she thought about how many people had died, violently, in the last several days. All because of one petty vampire.

Bella sucked in a deep breath and gave Faye a worried look, before turning to Carlisle. “Would you give me and Edward a minute with Faye, please?” Carlisle smiled before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Faye wondered what the point was – all the vamps in the house would be able to hear whatever Bella was about to say.

Bella grabbed Edward's hand, drawing Faye's gaze. Edward wore a small smile, but Bella looked nervous. "I- we're-" She took a deep breath, brown eyes lifting to meet Faye's green ones. "We're getting married, Faye." Words started to spill out of her, making Faye's head pound even more. "I wasn't going to tell anyone, not yet, not after what happened..." Her gaze dropped. "You're my best friend, though. I want you there."

The silence was deafening as Faye stared at her friend. Her friend, who wasn't yet eighteen. Her friend, who had just said she was going to marry a fucking _vampire_ she’d known for a year. 

She stood up from the couch quickly, ignoring the way her vision went fuzzy around the edges. “You’re kidding me. Really, Bella? You're only seventeen! He barely got back after disappearing on you for more than a month! And now you’re marrying him?” Faye looked at Bella incredulously. “He isn’t even human, Bella. The only way this will work is if you’re not human either.”

Bella said nothing, and realization dawned on Faye. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “You don’t want to be human, do you?” Her hands fisted at her sides, nails biting her palms.

“The state of my species isn’t the point-“ Bella started.

“Bella!” Faye interrupted harshly. “You need to think this through. Think of the consequences. You could die. Either way, you’ll leave Charlie thinking you’re dead. And what about me? We just applied to colleges together!” Faye felt sick. “Now you’re just going to become a bloodsucking monster with no control and leave me behind? I’ve lost too many people, I can’t lose you, too,” her voice cracked at the end, tears welling in her eyes.

“I’m not changing my mind, Faye. I love Edward, and I don’t want to be human anymore.” Bella spoke softly, but there was no regret in her eyes. Her hand stayed clasped in Edward’s.

Faye stared at Bella for a long moment, unmoving. “Where are my keys” She asked, anger evidence in her voice.

Edward stepped forward. “You shouldn’t be driving in your state let us take you home-“

“Give me my keys,” Faye grit her teeth. “I’m not getting into a vehicle with either of you, so just let me go.”

Silently, Edward handed Faye her keys. She tried not to make a face as she made her way to the door, every muscle in her body screaming for help. Bella and Edward followed her through the house, saying nothing. Her head was screaming now, the stitches itching. 

As Faye reached for the front door, Bella put her hand on her shoulder. “I’m not asking you to understand. You just have to accept my decision.” Faye looked at the taller girl for a moment before exiting the house wordlessly. Hurt flashed across Bella’s face, but for once Faye was too angry to care. She got into her car, shivering, and slammed the door before peeling out of the driveway.

The radio stayed off as Faye drove home, and the tears had retreated. Only anger remained – anger at herself, at Bella, at Edward, at Victoria. The peaceful Washington woods did little to sooth Faye as she drove through the silent road, not another car in sight. Snow had been cleared from the road, piling up at the edges and slightly blackened from the asphalt. 

Pulling into the driveway, Faye turned the car off but didn’t move to get out. She stared at her empty home for a moment. The anger and sadness consumed her, and she screamed, hitting the steering wheel. Everything hurt, but she didn’t care. She needed an outlet.

The snow crunched beneath her boots once again as she headed around the house and into the woods. Maybe their familiar silence would soothe the ache in her heart. Or maybe not. It was worth a try.

In truth, Faye was jealous. It was a large part of why Bella’s decision made her so angry. Bella had everything – two loving parents, friends, boys constantly after her. Faye would have killed for any of that. She desperately wanted her own family, but here Bella was throwing away one that loved her. She was throwing it all away for a _guy_. 

Deep down, it wasn't just that Edward was a vampire. It was that he was a guy in a sea of many. He wouldn't be the only one to fall in love with Bella. If he turned her, though...they'd be stuck with each other forever. It didn't seem healthy. It didn't seem sane.

A light snowfall began, but Faye kept walking. She felt numb after her outburst in the car. Her many emotions whirled inside her like a hurricane, and they just wouldn’t shut off.

The feeling of no longer being alone suddenly washed over her, and her blood ran cold. She glanced up, and that’s when she saw him.


	2. No Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally giving this fic another try. I'll work on the others soon, I promise!

Riley was leaning against a tree, watching her. Even from this distance, Faye could see his eyes were still that shocking red. A red that screamed _danger!_

She stopped in her tracks, unsure of her next move. What could she do? Running would be useless, and she'd be lucky to get two whole steps in before he'd be on her. No one would hear her scream. Instead, she eyed him calmly, keeping her heartbeat steady. Snow landed in her midnight-colored hair, melting on her face. 

His arms were crossed, body relaxed. They just stared at each other, the snowfall only expanding the silence between them. Faye had no idea what he was doing. Had he come to finish the job? Her life had been filled with so much death that the idea didn't much scare her anymore. All she could think about was that once again, she'd made a bad decision relating to the damned Forks woods.

"Well, if you're going to kill me, can you get it over with?" She sniffed, giving him a defiant look. "You did a number on my skull and it hurts like hell, so you'd probably be doing me a favor at this point." Faye realized how ridiculous she must have seemed to him. She was covered in bandages, barely dressed for the weather. Her face probably looked sickly pale and her hair was surely dirty. And yet she stood there, daring him to kill her, as though this were a normal conversation.

Riley regarded her wearily before pushing himself off the tree's trunk and slowly making his way closer to Faye. He glided, almost catlike, across the snowy trail with barely a sound. His eyes never moved from hers, and it deeply unsettled her. Faye could only hope that it wasn't visible in her face how hard she was resisting the urge to take a step back. In a blur, Riley was suddenly in front of her, invading her space. His hand lifted to move her hair away from her neck, his eyes containing something she couldn't identify.

 _This is it,_ she thought. _See you soon, mom and dad._

His face brushed against hers as he moved to inhale, nose lightly touching her neck. Faye stopped herself from stiffening. What would be the point? It would probably just make it hurt more. Her eyes closed, breathing in the smell of Riley mixed with the crisp freshness of the air. She tried to focus on that rather than the pain her body was bracing for.

It didn't come, though. Riley took a step away from her, hand dropping her hair. Faye blinked. His eyes were slightly wild, thirst obvious in his face. He had become that unnatural stillness that the Cullens were when not in public. Still, like a ravenous painting.

"You're not afraid," he said flatly. Faye blanched. That's all he had to say? Really?

"You can do whatever you want to me. You can kill me, tear me to shreds. You can even make me one of you." The disgust was obvious in her voice. "I can't stop you. But I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me afraid. Not now. Not ever." She remained in the same spot, fighting to keep her heart still. Her head was aching more than it had been, making her teeth grit from the pain. It probably wouldn't be long before she couldn't see as the migraine aura made its way into her vision. Nearly blind, in the middle of the woods, with a damned newborn vampire.

There she was again, making those stupid decisions. 

"Why did you help me?" He asked her, expression schooled into that of a cool marble statue once again. "I slammed your head into a rock and was seconds from draining you."

Faye didn't say anything for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air. "I didn't think it was fair," she said, finally. Riley looked at her questioningly. "I..." She trailed off, looking away suddenly. "I don't know the details of it all, but I can guess what Victoria did to you. What she said to you, what she made you do. And it struck me as overwhelmingly unfair that you were going to die like the others in a fight that was never yours to begin with." Faye took a deep breath, trying to see through the aura creeping along the edges of her vision. "Now it's my turn to ask a question, since you're clearly not eating me. Why _are_ you here?"

Snow faintly crunched under his feet as Riley shifted a bit. He almost looked uncomfortable. "You were right," he said, barely above a whisper. "She was using me. I don't..." His eyes were on hers again. "I don't have any of the tools to survive in this world, not like this. I need help." It looked like it cost him something to admit that. Faye wondered why he would even answer her question.

"Why would you come to me with that?" She asked him, but her voice sounded off. It was hard for her to see at all now. "I can't teach you how to be a vampire." Faye started to sway on her feet a bit, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. Hands gripped her shoulders a little too tightly, but she wasn't on her ass in the snow. A part of her was thankful for that.

"Let's get you home," a whisper brushed against her ear as the pain in her skull consumed her once again.


End file.
